Filed under: Motorsports, Etc.
Danica Patrick to race into bookstore near you
Indy Racing League fan favorite Danica Patrick will return to Indianapolis next month, where she hopes to improve on her fourth place finish in last year's rookie campaign. But Patrick isn't just gearing up for the race, the talented and comely racer is on the cusp of releasing her autobiography.
Danica Patrick: Crossing The Line was actually penned by biographer Laura Morton, but the racing star insists she was very much in the driver's seat during the entire writing process.
The book is slated to hit retail shelves May 25.
[Source: The Associated Press via the San Jose Mercury News; Amazon.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Smoove D 8:33PM (4/20/2006)
Her autobiography would be a lot more interesting after she wins a few major races. Not hating, just saying.
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Derek 8:40PM (4/20/2006)
I hate this broad. Doesn't take much talent to win in a telentless/boring/nascar-like series, and she doesn't even have that.
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Chris 8:44PM (4/20/2006)
She'll have a 2nd career with Playboy after the racing one is over. We are looking at a rich lady.
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Amir Sharifi 8:56PM (4/20/2006)
Good for her, can't hate on the lady for being making money. Plus, how hot is it for a girl to like racing and is hot herself?
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JR 9:13PM (4/20/2006)
4. Good for her, can't hate on the lady for being making money. Plus, how hot is it for a girl to like racing and is hot herself?
Posted at 8:56PM on Apr 20th 2006 by Amir Sharifi
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Hot ? she looks like a 5 foot guy with long hair.
Her claim of the Indy 500 was bogus, she choose not to pit when all others did to get up front and then could not finish without running out of gas.
She is coming out with the book now so she can sell the hype next month at the race but at this point she has crashed more cars out of races then any rookie I have see do in the past.
She is not making money, she's ripping it off by pretending to be a real pro racer and stinking up the series so bad many of us have quit watching those races so she can take her made in japan engine and go "drifting"
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Corey W. 9:15PM (4/20/2006)
It sucks, she's only getting this attention because she's female. Anyone else with her record would not be getting this much media attention.
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jrhmobile 9:32PM (4/20/2006)
Look guys, I don't buy into the Danica-mania hype either. And sure, she's been coached and groomed into a little media marvel. But for better or worse that's what's expected of any race driver in a mjor series today.
She's got the ride. She's earned it -- she didn't buy it. I'll bet the rest of you in the peanut gallery don't. She qualifies well, and she runs hard. You don't have to like her, but she is a real racer. And the rest of you are probably racing your armchairs.
Deal with it. In a world where you go fast, or go home, she goes fast. Where are you guys?
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Stoneman 9:35PM (4/20/2006)
I'm glad more women are making inroads to racing. Good for her.
Stoneman
http://www.stonemanautoreview.com
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That One Person 9:49PM (4/20/2006)
#2...I would love to see you race at Indy...then come back and say that.
Anyways, I agree with you. She is getting a lot of attention and yea it is because shes a chick. I guess its cool she was the first female to lead at Indy and the fourth to race at Indy but there are better records out there that should be published. Oh well, shes makin money...
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Kurt Brehm 10:52PM (4/20/2006)
#5 JR...apparently you are not much of an IRL fan or a fan of racing all together and are just talking out of your posterior in regards to Danica and crashes. Anyone who follows open wheel racing knows that anyone in a Foyt car plants more cars in the wall than anyone else out there. AJ IV was awful and him moving on to cars with fenders was a smart move for himself and everyone who might be stuck on a track with him or in the first 5 rows of the stands. There have been many drivers with more DNFs in their first season than Danica. Hell look at the DNFs in Target-Ganassi last year...Darren Manning never saw more than 2/3s of the laps in a race. If you are gonna complain, just say "I hate her cause she's female and she gets more media coverage than many other more talented drivers". It's better to be honest than look ignorant.
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chewy 11:03PM (4/20/2006)
She maybe overrated/overhyped, but she is a better racer than anyone that posts here.
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John B 11:28PM (4/20/2006)
Isn't 24 a little young to be publishing your autobiography?
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JR 12:55AM (4/21/2006)
10. #5 JR...apparently you are not much of an IRL fan or a fan of racing all together and are just talking out of your posterior in regards to Danica and crashes. Anyone who follows open wheel racing knows that anyone in a Foyt car plants more cars in the wall than anyone else out there. AJ IV was awful and him moving on to cars with fenders was a smart move for himself and everyone who might be stuck on a track with him or in the first 5 rows of the stands. There have been many drivers with more DNFs in their first season than Danica. Hell look at the DNFs in Target-Ganassi last year...Darren Manning never saw more than 2/3s of the laps in a race. If you are gonna complain, just say "I hate her cause she's female and she gets more media coverage than many other more talented drivers". It's better to be honest than look ignorant.
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Right on lets all find an excuse for her and then have to carefully select our words else she will cry.
Whatever, she still took out more cars then other rookies starting with the Indy 500 with her stupid moves that took 2 cars out that were running for BIG bucks that race rewards.
She did not really lead the 500, she just waited for the others to pit for gas leaving her there by default and once the race continued she was right back where she belonged.
Its all a hype job to market a Anerican race that now has nothing but jap engines with a bunch of punks, most not even Americans so she fits in there quite well but when the winner of the race is not even mentioned while she is kissing her own ass just lowered IRL to what CART was.
Screw the DNF, I stand on her stupid driving skills that takes out several cars and then gets on camara and whines like a baby it was everyone elses fault.
As to your remarks about my knowledge of racing, I have been in several ESPN recording of ORR at speeds over 200 MPH on public roads so do not tell me what I know, fact is what people do is blindly protect her when it could be another woman in that seat doing a much better job who does not have a website with crotch shots as danica does who admits she will do whatever to make a ton of money, racing is about winning not what the purse is.
So you need to be honest, your slip is showing . .
its not about what is between the legs but if the driver deserves to be in that seat or get out and let someone who keeps their mouth and legs shut get a shot and let her have someone write her books how brave and great she thinks she is, or at the least gain weight so she equals the other drivers to equal the HP to weight ratio
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PJ 2:16AM (4/21/2006)
I wouldn't bag on her for getting a book deal. Virtually no sports figure today gets famous on talent alone. They're packaged as product, like any other celebrity. Think musicians, if you want an analogy: it's never just the album, it's the album, then the book deal, then the endorsements, then the reality TV show, then the movie cameo, then the clothing line...
Bottom line is that it's easier and cheaper to groom one diva and sell him/her in multiple market spheres than to have a different (and costly) celebrity to specialize in each product niche. Plus, I'm sure Danica doesn't mind the press.
My issue on the subject of Danica is this: she's not just getting media attention because she's female--it's because she's HOT and female. Women who aren't attractive have a very hard time getting picked up in motorsports because they just aren't marketable. Most promoters would rather take an attractive woman and teach her to race than a talented racer who isn't attractive. It's Anna Kournikova on wheels.
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PJ 2:19AM (4/21/2006)
JR... I'm not going to pretend to know a lot about IRL. But you think maybe the reason those "Jap" engines got so popular is because... they were better than the alternatives?
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Andy 3:49AM (4/21/2006)
IRL was in a downward spiral until Danica showed up. Frankly, American racing sucks compared to F1 or rallying.. I never watched any American racing until Danica arrived, because let's admit it, it's interesting to see a woman race among guys. Look, we're even talking about the IRL here.. the IRL and every driver in the IRL should be thanking its stars that they have Danica to promote its races.
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Corey W. 6:56AM (4/21/2006)
To all posters that repeatedly say: "She drives better than you!! Duh, that's a given!! These are just post on a blog.... Do you think every sports caster can match the skill of the player(s) they criticize or games they report on.
And this topic is not new, I've seen the same topic on other media, they ask the same question, point blank, why does someone with her record get the level of media attention? It's like everybody knows the truth but doesn't want to say it. Nobody hates her, I'm glad to see women in the sport.
Also, this blog is anonymous, nobody knows jack about anybody else, outside of whether they use spell check or not, if given the chance (and some track time) you don't know what some of these posters can do behind the wheel.
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Razib Ahmed 7:31AM (4/21/2006)
"Her autobiography would be a lot more interesting after she wins a few major races"
She is still very young and after 10 years i think she can write another autobiography. it is nice to see that more women are joining in racing.
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Source1 7:53AM (4/21/2006)
One word which sums up the sport and the woman we are discussing: IRRELEVANT!
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Doogs 7:58AM (4/21/2006)
This is like releasing a greatest hits album after you've released two albums.
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